Recently in our church homegroup, I was branded as being a Calvinist. As I was unsure of what I was being accused of, I did some research and found that the accusation was probably correct. I am having difficulty with a number of teachings I am encountering in my Christian walk and I am going through a phase of exploring the details of what I really believe. So please be patient if I seem to be off the track that is well known to some of you.

Could anyone answer this question for me?
In Mark 4:11-12, Jesus explained why he spoke in parables - basically so that certain people would not be able to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God - otherwise they would repent and be forgiven. If the people Jesus didn’t want to understand were not called by God, surely they wouldn’t be able to understand even if He presented His point in a straight forward way. This scripture could imply that if the Gospel had been presented in a straight forward way, those that God hadn’t chosen would have been saved!

Thanks for your help!